Friday, April 27, 2012

Traveling with pets has never been more popular amongst pet parents. Traveling by car is by far the most common mode of pet travel and dogs are the most frequent travelers. "Want to go for a ride?" is music to a dog's ears. They go just about everywhere with their parents...running errands around town, to beaches and parks, going on family vacations, and staying in pet friendly hotels. If pets are welcome - they come along! Unfortunately, most pet parents do not properly secure their pets when riding with them in their vehicles. They love their pets and would do anything for them...but probably don't realize that they are putting their pets at great risk.

Did you know that at only 35 mph, a 60 lb. pet becomes a 2,700 pound projectile and that unsecured pets commonly escape from vehicles and run off post-accident? How often are you distracted by your excited or rambunctious pet while driving? Did you know that driver distraction causes more accidents than anything else?

Securing your pet during car travel is essential to ensuring their safety. There are many ways to properly secure your pet in a vehicle. Buckling them up in pet seat belt is a very easy and affordable way to help ensure that your pet stays safe while traveling in your vehicle. Pet seat belts range in price from about $9 - $40. They come in different sizes to accommodate most all sized pets and most are adjustable.

Most pet seat belts attach onto your vehicle's seat belt. Some come with leads that have a buckle at one end that fits into your vehicle's seat belt receptacle, and the other end of the lead has a clip that attaches onto your pet's harness. Other pet seat belts have leads that have a loop at one end in which you put your vehicle's seat belt strap through and the other end has a clip which attaches to a harness. If you choose to give your pet more freedom in the back seat, you can get a pet seat belt that has a zip line which attaches between the two rear passenger side handles, creating a tether which attaches to your pet's harness.

No matter what type of pet seat belt you choose, you must always use a harness - never a collar. A collar can easily choke or strangle your pet if you stop fast or are in an accident. In addition, pet's should never ride in the front seat. Deployed airbags can seriously injure pets.

With pet travel growing by leaps and bounds, pet parents must step up and be sure to take the necessary measures to ensure their pet's safety - pet seat belts are an effective way to do this. Safe travels and please buckle up your precious pets!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

There have been numerous studies on colors and humans. But what about colors and their effects on dogs? According to an article from Pet Centric, colors may affect your dog too.

The first step in answering that question is to know what colors dogs see. Dogs do see colors, but the colors they see aren’t as vivid or as many as we see. Most experts agree that while they can’t see reds and greens, dogs do see most other colors — including blacks, whites, grays, yellows and blues. That means a toy that looks red or green to you doesn’t look the same to your dog, it probably looks dark gray.

How do we know dogs see colors? The dog’s eye — and the human eye — have special light catching cells called cones. But since your dog has fewer cones than you, his color vision won’t be as intense as yours.

In a study at the University of California — Santa Barbara, dogs were shown three light panels in a row. Two of the panels were the same color while the third was different. If the dog could identify the one that was different and press that panel, he was rewarded with a treat.

Using this method, the study suggested that dogs see the world in mostly yellows, blues and grays. They see green, yellow and orange as a shade of yellow. Violet and blue both appear blue.

To see if color impacts your dog’s moods and behavior, try your own experiments. Red, orange and yellow are stimulating to humans but blue and violet are calming. Toss your dog two toys — one yellow and one blue — and see if the yellow toy inspires a more energetic playtime. Or the next time your dog gets anxious from a thunderstorm or noisy fireworks, try exposing him to soothing colors. (Of course, any serious anxiety issues should be discussed with your veterinarian.)

Thursday, April 19, 2012

While most of the economy limps along, the pet industry is thriving. It is estimated that $50.84 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. in 2011. America's and the world's love affair with their pets is evidenced by their spending habits. Dog and cat parent's spending is at an all time high...and much of it is on pet travel expenses. That's right - falling in line right behind pet health & boarding expenses, dog and cat parents are opening up their pocket books to take Fido and Fluffy to pet friendly hotels and buy them those much need pet travel supplies.

An online survey of pet parents who travel with their dogs and cats to uncover what they look for when sniffing out dog and cat friendly hotels and accommodations. Here are their top 5.

Pet Fees: Even though pet parents aren't afraid to open up their wallets for their cats and dogs, they still want a deal. When choosing pet friendly hotels or accommodations, pet parents compare pet fees when determining where to book their stay. Many look negatively on pet friendly accommodations that charge high pet fees, as they equate high pet fees as "not pet friendly."

Pet Amenities: Pet welcome baskets, pet beds, and pet bowls are among the little touches that go a long way with pet parents. To most, the way to their hearts is through their pets. Pet friendly hotels and accommodations that offer these perks to pamper Fido and Fluffy factor into their decision of where to stay. Pet amenities become more of a factor for longer stays or vacation stays. Dog walking, pet sitting and pet concierge services are among the amenities that become more important to pet parents for these types of stays.

Location: Pet parents are less apt to drive off the beaten path for accommodations when traveling with their pet. When they are booking overnight stays on their way to their final destination, they will select pet friendly accommodations closest to their route and are willing to pay a little bit more for it. Cat pet parents in particular have a stronger preference to not drive any further than they have to. Generally, cats aren't as seasoned travelers as dogs and aren't as happy traveling. Hence, the less time in the car, the better.

Pet Policy: Accommodations and hotels that allow pets, but whose pet policies list numerous restrictions are perceived as "not pet friendly." Pet parents are less likely to book their stay at accommodations whose pet policy is loaded with restrictions and penalties. They seek out accommodations that welcome their pets and therefore tend to pass on accommodations with overly restrictive pet policies.

Loyalty to Pet Friendly Hotels Chains: A very interesting habit of pet parents is that once they find a pet friendly hotel chain that takes care of their dog or cat to their liking they will tend to book at that pet friendly hotel chain even at times when they are not traveling with their pet. As mentioned before, the way to their hearts is through their pets!

As the world's love affair with their pets grows, pet parents will continue to flex their financial muscle...raising the bar for pet friendly hotels and pet travel.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

I've seen a lot of different treats at a lot of different events, but this may be one of the first liquid dog treats. It's called Lickety Stik and is being billed as a nutritious way to give your dog a tasty treat. It is an on-the-go container with a ball top that apparently delivers just the right amount to your dog.

Haven't tried one yet but would be interested to hear from anyone who has.

About Me

I’ve always had pets. Growing up it was a dog, some cats, and a fish tank. As I got older and moved out on my own, I always took the fish with me. The urge for a new puppy kept grabbing hold. After months of research and searching, we found Rocco…a Lhasa Apso/Japanese Chin mix. Different, you say? Well, nothing like we’ve ever seen. But a great dog with lots of energy. A year later, we adopted Kelso, a pup who had bounced around to a few different homes before we took him in and gave him a permanent place to live.
Disclaimer:
This site is for entertainment purposes. We try to provide tips based on research, but we encourage you to do your own research. The opinions expressed are from the authors and if your pet needs medical advice, we suggest speaking to your vet.